This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for a closed sorption process.
More particularly, this invention relates to a closed circuit sorption process wherein a working medium circulates under different pressures and temperatures and is transformed successively into liquid phase, gas phase and into a mixture of liquid and a sorption agent which sorption agent in turn circulates between an absorption station and a separation station for the working medium.
A field wherein such a sorption process is practiced, are so-called heat pumps in which a working medium is transformed from liquid phase into gas phase in an evaporator at a relatively low temperature level, the evaporation heat being supplied by a surrounding low-grade heat source and the heat thus bound by the working medium is utilized to raise the temperature of a useful medium to a relatively higher temperature level, where the working medium reverts to its liquid phase and with consequent liberation of its vaporization heat. In heating a building space, for instance this useful medium is included in the heating system in the form of water, whereas in the evaporator the heat may be absorbed from a "heat source" of relatively low temperature level, such as consumed cooling water or air from an industrial process or similar sources which has a temperature of e.g. 20.degree.-40.degree. C. and which therefore is not by itself suitable for practical room heating at low external temperatures. The task of the heating pump is to make use of heat calories from such waste media and to transfer these calories to the useful medium so that it can be within a temperature range required by a radiator system for room heating. Experiments have also been made to use as heat source the water in lakes and the like at outside temperatures below 0.degree. C.